The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested a man for allegedly swindling people by posing as a senior official of the Bangladesh Army, police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and promising them jobs in exchange for money.

The arrestee was identified as Md Nurul Chowdhury, 40.

A special DB team of Ramna Division conducted a raid on a house in Sunday Society Residential Area on Bhuiyanbari Bashtala Road in Uttara around 3:40am on Tuesday and arrested him.

DMP Additional Commissioner (DB) Md Shafiqul Islam disclosed the information while briefing reporters at the DMP Media Centre in the afternoon,

He said the DB gathered information about the activities of a fraud gang following intelligence.

Two walkie-talkie sets, two chargers, a fake passport, a fake ID card identifying him as an Army major, another fake ID card identifying him as a RAB deputy director of colonel rank, three mobile phones and 10 types of Army uniforms were recovered from his possession, the DB chief added.

Army medical books, various forms and pads, passport-size photographs wearing uniforms identifying him as an Army major and police superintendent, fake Army recruitment notices and job application forms were also recovered.

During preliminary interrogation, Nurul reportedly admitted that he had been carrying out such fraudulent activities in a planned manner for a long time with the help of his associates.

He allegedly posed at different times as “Major Al Mamun”, “Colonel Nazim” and “Major Tanvir” and lured people with promises of jobs in the Bangladesh Army as soldiers, cooks, peons and chefs.

Unemployed young people, rickshaw pullers, workers, day labourers and other low-income people were among the main targets of the gangsters.

To gain the victims’ trust, the gang used fake recruitment notices, application forms, identity cards, Army uniforms and photographs wearing uniforms of different law enforcement agencies.

Information was also found that the arrestee sometimes posed as a Special Branch (SB) or DB member and at other times used the identity of “SP Tarikur Rahman” to defraud people.

He is also accused of extorting money by blackmailing people and threatening to implicate them in false cases using the identities of law enforcement agencies.

A case related to fraud has already been filed against Nurul at Shah Ali Police Station. Legal proceedings against him are underway.

Meanwhile, efforts are underway to identify others involved in the fraud, Shafiqul said.